CNN & FOX: The Death Machine

This is in response to Frank Rich’s column, “Who Is to Blame in the Next Attack?” in the Sunday New York Times.
For my money Frank Rich is the best commentator in America, but today he didn’t go deep enough. He describes the ailment, but doesn’t diagnose it or prescribe any treatment.
So I, naturally, [...]

Holy Roller in the White House: Palin “the Perfect Woman”

America’s Hottest Governor, according to Alaska magazine; not the smartest, not the best, just the hottest. Hillary Clinton canceled a potential appearance with her today.
The New York Times, in a report today by David D. Kirkpatrick titled “Abortion Issue Again Dividing Catholic Votes,” came up with this gem from a retired social worker in Scranton, [...]

Obama: Reminiscences of a 13-Year-Old Boy

The Democratic Convention opens tomorrow, and on Thursday Sen. Barack Obama will become the nominee for President of the United States.
I’ve already reserved my front-row seat in front of the TV at my friends’ house. We will watch history being made. For many it will be an occasion of national rejoicing.
A half-Black, half-White senator from [...]

Hilary Rosen: Why No National Conversation on Gender?

(Tim O’Brien/Mother Jones)
Today on The Huffington Post, columnist Hilary Rosen, in a piece called “Why Do We Stick With Her?”, nudges along the conversation about sexism and gender in the presidential campaign. It’s about the only sensible comment I’ve seen yet, and really does help us all a bit.
Rosen gets the question wrong, but I [...]

Bush’s Recession: It’s Here

Sen. Barack Obama and his adoptive parents on the Crow Reservation in South Dakota May 19.

In all the back-and-forth about the Democratic primaries, superdelegates, the convention, etc., I wonder if we’re not missing something crucial: the world economy is headed off a cliff.
Ford Motor Co. is cutting production and won’t turn a profit in the [...]

W. Va. Goes Wacky

Pocahontas County, West Virginia: almost heaven.
I am predisposed to like West Virginia. It’s largely rural; that’s a good thing. It borders Ohio, my home for many years. I’ve met a lot of guys from Wheeling, Huntington and Charleston in Gay bars in Columbus and Cincinnati; nice, fun-loving people. (It’s also a state where Gay people [...]

The Sad Demise of Hillary Clinton

It’s Mother’s Day, the Feast of Pentecost, cold and windy, five days after the Indiana primary, which Hillary Clinton won by 11,000 votes out of 1,264,456 cast.
Publishing the exact number is important, because these are individuals who made up their minds and took action; Hoosiers exerted themselves, drove or walked to the county courthouse, the [...]

Analyzing the Indiana Primary by County

episcopalians-for-obama
Sign I taped to my car window; it’s a PDF, so feel free to download it and print it out.

As a Hoosier I find it fascinating to look at the Indiana results county by county, knowing this state much better than the talking heads on TV. I suppose they were reasonably well-prepared, but the best [...]

Obama, Kennedy and King

This makes me so proud to be a Hoosier.

Update: Clinton/Obama, McCain/Romney

I’ve never lived through a presidential campaign like this one. No one has.
At various times last summer John McCain was the front-runner. Rudolph Giuliani was the front-runner. Mitt Romney was the front-runner. Fred Thompson was the front-runner—and all before a single vote was cast.
McCain’s campaign fell apart; it turns out now that was good [...]